Old Macdonald's Day Nursery

Old Macdonald's Day Nursery Darley Ash Farm, Chipperfield Road, Bovingdon, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP3 0JW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 1 September 2016 4 September 2015

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3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Good 2

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 The management team have put new procedures in place to record children’s attendance and make sure children are supervised at all times to keep them safe and secure. However, some staff are still unsure about the recording methods used to make sure registers are consistently accurate.  The current information of children's learning does not target groups of children to ensure that all children make rapid progress.  The process in place to support staff to enhance teaching skills is not fully developed. This means that children do not receive equally good teaching throughout the nursery.

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It has the following strengths

 Some teaching was observed to an outstanding or good level. For example, staff inspire older children to guess what items might be in a cup according to its sound. This evokes a rich vocabulary as children use words such as 'rattle', 'heavy' and 'material'.  Staff provide many opportunities to develop children's literacy skills. As a result, children are learning early reading and writing skills to build on in the future.  Staff gather thorough information about children before they start. They conduct a home visit and communicate in detail with parents. Staff can, therefore, support children well in their first days at the nursery and help them settle well.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage the provider must:

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Due Date

 demonstrate all staff have a secure knowledge of their roles and responsibilities of health and safety issues, with particular reference to recording children's attendance. 04/11/2016

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Due Date

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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Due Date

 develop the performance management systems for staff to improve the quality of teaching to higher levels  enhance the tracking of all children's learning, so that the precise needs of specific groups are identified and the appropriate intervention provided, in order for all children to make excellent progress.

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Inspection activities

 There were two inspectors present during the inspection. The inspectors observed general play and routines in the play rooms of the nursery. They spoke to the staff, parents and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspectors looked at evidence of the suitability of staff members, and a range of other documentation. First-aid and safeguarding training certificates were viewed.  The inspectors held joint discussions with the manager, area manager and owner in relation to observations of the children's play, learning and progress.  The lead inspector reviewed the provider’s self-evaluation  The inspectors carried out two joint observations.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The high numbers of staff mean that children are well supervised. The manager monitors staff performance sufficiently through regular supervisions and appraisals, and discusses any plans for their continuous development. However, induction is not always effective for some procedures, and the process to further the good quality teaching is not fully embedded. Staff record the hours of children’s attendance and complete headcounts throughout the day. However, these are not accurate in all rooms and some staff are not clear on the procedure. The leadership team is passionate about the service they provide and are committed to improvement. They work closely together and began resolving the issues with the attendance records on the day of the inspection. Safeguarding is effective. There are robust recruitment procedures in place to ensure that only suitable people work with children. Staff are confident in raising concerns about children’s well-being.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff plan individual children’s next steps in their learning well so that they make good progress. They immerse pre-school children in language as they play to encourage their speech and communication skills. Young children develop an understanding of the world around them using their senses to explore natural materials. All children are provided with good opportunities to express their creativity and enhance their physical skills. For example, babies use their hands and brushes to paint and older children write on clipboards as they play in the garden. More able children display their thinking skills as they talk to inspectors about how shadows can be seen in the sunshine but not in the shade. Visits to the local farm and care home help children learn about their local community and other people.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Children are happy and settled. They have formed good relationships with staff and other children. This helps to support their confidence and emotional well-being. The high ratios enable staff to support children well, even though procedures for record keeping need improving. There is an adequate range of resources for children to choose from which promotes positive behaviour and supports their concentration. The cook provides a fresh nutritious meal for all children. Staff follow strict cleaning procedures and support children’s understanding of personal care skills sufficiently. Children develop their independence skills well. They handle spoons competently to serve their own lunches.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are confident, inquisitive and eager to learn. All children make good progress in their learning from their starting points. Children communicate well with others. They listen carefully to stories and recall what is happening. They develop the skills they need for their future learning at school. However, managers are not tracking groups of children’s progress to identify and close any potential gaps in learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 129381 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 1067767 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 74 Number of children on roll 154 Name of registered person Old Macdonald's Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 4 September 2015 Telephone number 01442 834118

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reference number

Old MacDonald's Day Nursery was registered in 1998. The nursery employs 32 members of childcare staff. Of these, 30 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above, including one member of staff who holds Early Years Professional status and one member of staff who is a qualified teacher. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 7pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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reference number

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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reference number

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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reference number

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